Pipe-wrench.



1.11. BENEDICT.

PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1B. 1913.

1,143,350B Patented June 15, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTU-LITHCL. WASHINGTON. D. C,

LAURANCE D. BENEDICT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIPE-WRENCH.

Application filed December 18, 1913. Serial No. 807,378.

T all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, LAURANOE D. BENE- DICT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and .useful Improvement in Pipe-Trenches, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which. it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. 7

Myinvention has for itsobject to produce a simple and compact pipe wrench comprising few parts and so arranged that the stresses are distributed in a manner to obtain a maximum-degree of strength for a given weight of material.

A further object of my invention is to produce a simple and novel extension for the handle'of a pipe wrench or other tool so as to make it possible quickly to increase the length of the handlewhen an increased leverage. is required. 7

-The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a'full understandingof my invention and of itsobjects-andadvantages,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of a wrench arranged in accordance with a preferred formof my invention; Fig. 2 is a; longitudinal central section of the wrench Fig. 3 1s a section on an enlarged scale taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4: is v a section taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3. 1

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a hollow body member enlarged at one end so as to form a head, 2, and tapering gradually 7 toward the rear end, the rear portion of the body member serving as the handle. Within the handle is a bar, 3, tapered to correspond to the shape of the chamber in the handle and of such a size that it may be partially drawn out through the rear end of the handle or be telescoped within the handle; and, when partially drawn out, having its inner end firmly wedged into the surrounding portion of the handle so as to make the extension in efi'ect a rigid part of the handle. In order to hold the extension in telescoped relation to the handle during ordinary service, I place on the rear end of the extension a rotatable button or finger piece, 4, having shoulders adapted to interlock with the rear end of the handle when the extension is telescoped into the handle. In the arrangement shown, the interior of the handle, near the rear end thereof, is provided with opposed grooves, 5, arranged in opposite walls of the handle, the finger piece or button having a flange, 6, spaced apart from-the head of the button by a reduced neck, 7; the flange being adapted to enter the opening in the rear end ofthe handle freely in one position and to be interlocked with the grooves, 5, when the button is turned through an angle of 90 degrees from that position The button is rotatably mounted on the rear end of the extension, preferably by passing a .pin or bolt, 8, through the button and into the end of the extension.

On the end of the head of the body mom- I ber of the wrench is. arranged a transversejaw, 9, toothed on its outer face, this jaw being in the form of a hard steel insert set into the end of the body member and secured by rivets, 10, or the like. The jaw extends from one edge of the head past the center so as to leave room between'the jaw and the opposite edge of the head forthe passage of the long arm, 11, of an L-shaped member whose short arm, 12, overlies the jaw 9 and cooperates therewith to grip a pipe, 13, or other member to be operated upon. The arm 11 extends into the chamber in the head at right angles to the jaw 9 and is provided with screw threads, 14, meshing with complementary' threads in an adjusting nut, 15

the adjusting nut lying in an opening 16 eX tending transversely through the head behind and overlapping the jaw 9 and being directly behind the jaw so that the nut may engage with the inner side of the jaw. Within the head is a spring, 17, engaging with the side of the member 11 nearest the jaw at a point behind the nut, the tendency of the spring being to swing the member 11 about the nut as a fulcrum so as to carry the member 12 toward the jaw; the openings in which the nut 15 and the member 11 lie being large enough to allow the member 11 an appreciable angular movement.

When the wrench is to be used the nut 15 is turned so as to carry the member 12 far enough away from the jaw 9 to receive the pipe or other part to be turned and, upon placing the pipe between the members 9 and 12 the spring exerts a pressure which'cau'ses the pipe to be gripped and makes it unnecessary to hold the hand on themember 12 to secure a gripping action. By having the nut 15 directly behind the inner end of the jaw 9 and in position to engage therewith, a thrust between the nut and pipe -is transmitted directly through the jaw and does not'necessarily come upon the body member.

The action ofthe wrench-can best be understood from Fig. 2. The member 11 is only loosely arranged in the head of the wrench so that it can oscillate through a considerable angle from and toward the adjacent end'of the jaw 9. When thewrench is-placed over a pipe or other part to be turned, the movable jaw member is forced back so as to bring the member 12 at an angle to the member 9; Upon applying pressure to the handle of the wrench, tending to turn it in the clockwise direction, the point of contact between the nut 15 and the member 9 serves as the fulcrum of a lever one end of which engages the pipe and the other end of which is the handle. As the pressure is continued, the member 11 is swung in the direction to bring the part 12- more nearly parallel with the jaw 9, in-

creasingthe grip on the pipe; the entire pull being transmitted throughthe fulcrum, that is the point of contact between the nut 15 and the jaw 9, and the thrust atthe fulcrum being transmitted through the jaw 9 to the pipe.

While I have-illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural d'etails'thus illustrated and described, but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims; j y

copies of thii patent may be obtained for I claim:

'1. A pipe wrench comprising a hollow handle enlarged at one end so as to provide a chambered head, a toothed insert fixed in the open outer end of the head and extend ing partially across the same, an L-shaped' member having its short arm arranged over said insert and its long arm extending loosely into said head immediately adjacent to one end of said insert so as to be movable a' considerable distance from and toward said end of the insert, said head having an opening therethrough just behind and overlapping said insert, and a nut. arranged in said opening and surrounding the long arm of said L-shapedfmember, said nut positively and directly engaging with said insert.

a chambered head, a toothed insert fixed in the open outer endof the head and extending partiallyacross the same, an L-shaped member having its short arm arranged over said insert and its long arm extending loosely into said'head immediately adjacent 2 Apipeiwrench comprising. a :hollow handle enlarged at one end so as to provide:

with said insert, and a leaf spring. secured to the'inner side of said insert and engaging with the long arm of. said L-shape memberiat a point behind the nut.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the-presence of two witnesses.

j LAURANGE BENEDICT;

Witnesses:

WM. FyFREUDENREICI-I, Rn'rn E, ZETTERVALL.

five cent: each, by addressing theficommissioner o1 mam, Washington, D. 0. 

